Missing Moose

Mom is really missing me tonight for some reason.

I think it's because I've been flying around her a lot more since it's been Christmas.

She just knows that she is missing her Moose-Boy a lot for some reason.

That's okay mom, I miss you too. **gives mom butterfly kisses**

A year at the Bridge

A note from mom:

Well friends it's been a year & a day since Shamus went to the Bridge.

I still think of him a lot, but I don't find myself looking for him as much as I used to.

I know he is much happier & healthier there, but it's hard to know that a friend of nearly 14 years is no longer in your life.

I know I don't do a lot with Moose's page but I want to thank all his wonderful friends, especially Arnold P & Moose for their love & support.

It is nice to know he is still loved & remembered by his friends. You guys are the best!

I've been tagged!

Playing gotcha - the meme game

I have been tagged! That is right I have been tagged a bunch of friends to participate in Kazumi Joy's meme.

The rules:
Each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. Cats who are tagged need to write on their own diary about the seven things and the rules. You need to choose seven cats to tag and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment that they have been tagged and to read your diary.

My seven random facts:

1. I was the oldest kitty mom ever had, and she got me as a kitten.
2. I loved being outside, even though mom did her best to keep me in.
3. My name is Shamus but my family always called me Moose.
4. I had a blood transfusion once when I got into some rat poison.
5. I loved to sleep with my Uncle Jim and he considered me his boy.
6. I was a bit of a troublemaker in my younger days!
7. I was once on something called Ovaban because I kept spraying everything even after being neutered.

I'm not going to tag anycat because I figure most of them have already been tagged a slew of times. But if anycat hasn't been tagged and they read this then consider yourself tagged! MOL

My Birthday

I have been having such a great time up here at the Bridge that I plum forgot today was my birthday! I was chasing a flutterby when I heard Bill holler at me. "Moose! Moose look down there!"

I flew over to where he was and lo and behold there mom was sitting at her computer and crying. But she had a smile on her face at the same time. That was mighty odd, so I decided to flutter down and see what was going on.

Imagine my surprise when I see all the beautiful rosettes all my Catster and Dogster pals had left for me on my page! There were flutterbys and flowers and ribbons! Between you and me it looks like I got a few treats too! MOL

So there mom was letting her eyes leak all over the place and I had to shake my head. Today is a pawty day! Not a sad day mom! I'm 14 and don't feel a day over 2 MOL

So I sat with mom for a while and gave her some angel kisses and she stopped crying, so she must have known I was there!

I just wanted to thank you all for the beautiful rosettes it's been a great day and I hear there is a pawty waiting for me when I get done here so I will go for now. Meow at you all later!

Shamus

***Moose's Mom Note***

The only thing I thought of when I got up today was that it was the day after the 1 month anniversary since Moose left us for the Bridge. When I got on here I was so surprised at all the love that was shared with Moose and me I was overwhelmed!

Moose shares his birthday with two special ladies in our family, one is his dogsister Alexis who turns 6, and their cousin Tigress's mommy, who is my niece (human), who turns 28.

So today is a special day in our family and I thank you all for making it so unforgettable and a happy day rather than the sad one it started off as. We love you all!

Dana aka Moose's Mom

What an honor!

As I was using the internet connection up here at the Bridge I noticed that Catster had named me as Diary pick of the day!

What an honor it is and I know mom is just beaming with pride, though I do agree it has to be one of the sadder diary entries that the daily diary pick had seen. So I wanted to post one more time so it would not be so sad.

I am doing well at the Bridge and have been so busy since arriving. I have made so many new friends and got reacquainted with old ones. It is a beautiful place.

Happy bonks and love to you all!
Shamus

A mom note

Just a little note to let all Moose's friends know that he crossed the Bridge at 2:00 pm this afternoon.

I sat with him in the back where the other cats and dogs that had been either spayed or neutered were recovering and Moose watched them a long time as the shot to relax him took effect.

There was a Doxie with one blue eye and one brown eye, and a little black kitten that watched over him. It was such an interesting thing to see. I am sure they all knew what was going on and it was as if those two little ones were put there just so Moose would not feel alone. He is used to having 6 other kitties around and I think he felt a bit more like he was at home, being able to see them.

I'm also thankful for them as well because it helped me too. I can only wonder what the three of them talked about before Moose crossed the Bridge.

Thank you all for your purrs and prayers, we love you all!

Moose's Mom

Time to be moving on...

Yes kits I think it's time for me to be moving on. I admit that I am sad that I have to leave my family, but I am just so tired and hurt too much to stay here any longer.

I hear that the Bridge is a pawsome place and I won't be alone at all. In fact I will join many of my friends from right here on catster! I can't wait to chase butterflies with Bill and admire Navin's assortment of fancy tails! I will also get to see and play with my dogsister Tara again! She crossed the Bridge a few years ago and I have missed her terribly!

While I am ready I know mom doesn't want to see me go. I keep telling her it's okay and that it's not goodbye, it's see ya later. She will see me again one day.

So to all my catster friends I have loved meeting you and hanging out and I will remember all of you furever! But it's time this Moose was moving on!


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Moose's mom here, unfortunately my sweet boy is not responding at all to what the vet did. He won't eat the food because he says it tastes nasty. I tried to get him to eat some shredded 9 Lives food (his favorite) but he will only take a few licks of it.

He has not drank any water for at least 2 days now, and has only used the litter box once. And that I believe is because of the fluid bolus the vet gave him. He cannot stand for more than a few seconds and I have to help him up. He just meows when he moves, or I try to pet him. It appears he hurts just about everywhere, and honestly I'm not sure why. I don't know if it's because of the possible kidney failure or just old age. I'm also not sure if him not being able to use his hind legs is due to that or not either.

He just wants to lay under my bed and sleep, and has started to even meow and moan in his sleep. My heart breaks to watch my boy wither away before my eyes so I have decided that should he still be here come Monday, I am taking him to the vet's and letting him cross the Bridge.

I know he will feel much better once he crosses, and like he said above he has some great friends waiting for him, and his dogsister Tara is there too. They will have a blast seeing each other again. We got them both as babies and they were life long friends until Tara died a few years back.

So unless he decides otherwise, Moose will go to the Bridge sometime Monday. We thank you each and every one for all your purrs and prayers. We believe in the power of purrs and prayers and know that sometimes the answer to them is not to get better, but to simply go home.

Mom has something to say

Moose's mom here, today I had to take Moose to the vet. The news was not very encouraging, but not completely unexpected.

My sweet boy is almost 14 years old and he has really slowed down a lot within the past few weeks. Especially the last few days. He has taken to hiding under the bed quite a bit and just overall not feeling too well. He has had a lot of trouble getting up and some in walking. He was acting as though his hip might be out, but she feels there is just a lot of inflammation throughout his hips.

The vet said that his temperature was 94 and it should be 102. She said it means that Moose is preparing to leave us. She thinks he has kidney failure and gave him a fluid bolus to help with some dehydration issues.

She also gave him some special Eukanuba food called Multi-Stage Renal, Nutritional Kidney Formula. She wants him to be separated from the rest of the family with his own litter box, food and water so I can better monitor his intake and output this weekend.

So depending on how he responds this weekend will determine the next course of treatment. If he does not respond then she may draw labs to make sure it's what she is thinking. If this happens then Moose will be leaving us for the Bridge soon because I don't want him in pain.

If he responds to the treatment this weekend then she feels he may have til Spring. This would mean he would be on the special diet and most likely have to get weekly fluid boluses. If it helps him I am all for it.

So we know that Moose will be crossing over soon, it just may be anywhere from a week to a month or so. Or he may just decide on his own when his time is before that.

I got Moose when he was just a wee kitten and he has been through a lot in his near 14 years. He is one of the best cats that I've ever had the privilege of knowing and having in my life. I would love to keep him with me forever, but I want what is best for him.

Your purrs and prayers would be greatly appreciated by us all.

Thank you,
Moose's Mom

What is havering you ask?

Why it's chatting! It's been passed down from my cat clan of Scotland for centuries... So this diary will be my attempt at havering with all my catster friends!

As you can tell by my arrival story, I am not such a happy camper. In fact I'm a down right grumpy camper! I miss the freedom of the outside world. I long to roam the country side chasing butterflys and running from crazy birds!

Is it *my* fault the old woman's brother couldn't find another house in the country? No! It's not. Yet here I am paying for it by being kept inside all the time by the old woman.

True she was a very good mommy to me when I was with her before. But I've tasted freedom since then and I want it! I try to convince her to let me out. I walk around all night mrowing and mrowing trying to get her attention. She just tells me to go to sleep! The nerve of some people!

I knew when I came back home that I'd be an inside kitty. So now I make her worry about me because I sleep in front of the furnace most of the time, and I'm always hissing at the other cats! MOL That will teach her to try to tame me! I am a wild beastie and will escape one day to the great wide open once again!

Freedom!!!
Moose